Cabinet for combination household units



Oct. 17, 1950 B. s. KAGAN 2,526,030

CABINET FOR COMBINATION HOUSEHOLD UNITS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25. 1945 I 5Q l 42 32 s (L 4s l N h 2 44- INVENTOR.

Oct. 17, 1950 B. s. KAGAN 2,526,030

CABINET FOR COMBINATIONHOUSEHOLD UNITS Filed June 25. 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

ALW- 274244 Oct, 17, 1950 s, KAGAN 2,526,039

CABINET FOR COMBINATION HOUSEHQLD UNITS Filed Jun 25, 1945 :5 Sheets-Sheet s IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 17, 1950 Benjamin S. Kagan, Moline, Ill.

Application June 25, 1945, Serial No. 601,402

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a combination household unit in which clothes can be both dried and ironed. This combination unit may also serve additional functions such as drying dishes or heating a room.

When clothes have been washed and the surplus water has been extracted by passing them througha spinner or a wringer they still carry 50% to 100% of their weight in water.

Before these clothes can be laidaside in the clothes press or finished by ironing most of this water must be removed. The customary way is to hang them on a line allowing the moisture to evaporate. Dust and soot in the air, and rainy days are always a handicap and many a city dweller must resort to the furnace room or his kitchen for very unsatisfactory drying facilities that result in dirty, stained clothes. I

The widespread use of home washers which expedite the washing operation creates a demand for means of drying that can dry the clothes at the same rate that they are delivered by the washer. This cannot be done by hanging the clothes on a line.

Artificially heated drying cabinets have been used to a limited extent but are too bulky for household use. Driers having a revolving drum in which the clothes are tumbled while exposed to heat have been tried. The have found extensive favor'only in commercial industries. Their use in a home laundry involves at least four separate facilities, washer, drier, ironer, and a hand iron with ironing board. Such. an installation with three motor-driven units is both too expensive and demands too much space; more than is generally available.

One object of the invention is to provide a single power-driven household unit which is adapted both to the drying and to the ironing of the damp clothes.

A further object is to conserve space in the home laundry by so designing a single combined unit that it houses both a rotary drier and a power ironer with one motor driving both the drier and the ironer. These units are so placed relative to each other that a portion of the body of an operator seated at the ironer may extend within the confines ofthe rectangular housing of the drier, 6 A further object is to so design a housing containing a horizontal drier drum that a pivoted front section is capable of forming an ironing table and also affords space below the drum' axis into which the feet of the Seated operator may extend. 1

A further object is to design a cabinet containing an extensible ironing board carried on a vertically adjustable post so that the board may be elevated above the cabinet and turned about the axis of the post.

A further object of the invention is to design a combination drier and ironer having a horizontal drum drier, an ironer, a fan for circulating air through the drum, and a single motor drive for turning all three, selectively and jointly.

A further object is to provide a combined dish drier, clothes drier, ironer and room heater.

A further object is to provide a combination ironing unit adapted to iron apparel partly by a power-driven ironer and partly by a hand iron wherein the ironing board, when in use, can be adjusted relative to the ironer so that a seated operator can us the power iron and the hand iron on a given garment successively and without moving from her seat.

This invention makes it possible "for the first time to operate home washing as a continuous process in which the load coming from the washer is dried while the next, lot is being washed and. when that lot enters the drier the previously dried lot is ready to iron. All thre operations washing, drying, and ironing can proceed at one time.

This invention is illustrated by one embodiment without being limited to the precise construction here shown. For example, the power is transmitted at times by V belts, by gears, and by sprocket chains; it is clear that either drive 'might replace the other without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Similarly, where springs are used to bias a clutch to engage, and a finger is used to disengage the clutch, the spring could be made to bias a clutch to disengage and the finger used to engage the clutch.

Fig. 1- is a vertical section taken through a combined drierand ironer along line Il of Fi 2.

., Fig. 2 is a vertical section partly broken away,

erating both the ironer and the drier is indicated at 5. An ironing board generally indicated by 6 is supported by the housing.

Housing The housing generally indicated by I has end walls 8 and H), and a rear plate l i which ties the end walls together. The end walls are further tied together by a strip i2 extending along the front near the floor and by a top plate it.

This housing supports the ironing board 6 so that it can be adjusted vertically and, when elevated, turned about its support. Attached to the end plate 8 is a tube HS. in this tube and can be retained at any desired elevation by a hand clamp ii. The rod [6 carries a bracket I8 to which the ironing board 28 is attached. This permits not only vertical adjustment but also angular adjustment so that the ironing board can be swung to extend in any direction convenient for the operator. This ironing board may have a section 2! hinged at 22 so that a full-length ironing board may be contained in a casing shorter than an ironing board.

This ironing board is covered in the customary manner with padding, which is not shown, and the housing carries a cover 23 which will extend over the ironing board when it is folded and dropped into its lowered position to protect the padding against soil. When the unit is not in use the housing provides a fiat top that can be used as a table if desired.

A partition it extends from the front wall of t the housing to the rear wall H. A cylindrical shell 24 extends from this partition 4 to the end wall 8 to provide a space within which the drying cylinder revolves.

In the upper forward part of the casing, that is in front of and above the axis of the drying cylinder, there is space for the power ironer generally indicated at 3. Access is given to the ironer, when it is in use, by. raising a cover 25 of the housing and by turning part of the front wall, 26, about a horizontal axis 2? carried by the housing. Thus, while the ironer rests snugly on the upper front part of the housing when not in use, when this cover is raised and section 2% turned over, the ironer becomes readily accessible and the front wall section 28 now forms a table extending out beyond the casing and back under the ironer roll for supporting work being ironed.

It is desirable to provid for the operation of the ironer by an operator who is seated before the combination unit. The pivoted section 26 is at a convenient height to act as a table under which the operators feet may be positioned. To that end the lower part of the front wall has two doors 28, hinged at 30, to the frame of th housing. These doors may carry on their inner side racks 3! on which the operator can hang small pieces that have been ironed.

Clothes drier prises a cylinder 32 which has a cylindrical side wall 33 and end walls 3% and 35.

The end wall of the cylinder has a cylindrical extension 33 that servesas a loading opening and perforations 48 that permit air to escape from the cylinder. The end wall 8 of the housin carries a hinged door 3-? that closes the loading opening of the cylinder. The cylinder 32 is supported on a shaft Al that passes through bearings 42 and 43, supported on the partition is and the end wall IE3 respectively. The end was 3-5 of the A vertical rod it slides.

cylinder carries an annular row of perforations 44 that permit air to enter the cylinder. This end wall is also attached to a flange 45 which in turn is rigidly attached to the shaft 4|. This cylinder contains a number of ribs 41' spaced about the circumference to elevate the work being dried as the cylinder revolves. The end walls of the cylinder extend out beyond the shell 33 as indicated at 48. To these walls are attached annular flexible seals that compel the air which enters at the right hand end of the cylinder to pass through the cylinder by preventing it from passing around the sides of the cylinder.

Air heating apparatus The heating apparatus generally indicated at 3 comprises a horizontal duct 5! extending below the cylindrical shell 26. One end of this duct opens into the space between the cylinder end wall 34 and the end wall of the housing 8 while a the other end of the duct leads to a blower casing 52. This blower casing contains an impeller 53 carried by a shaft E l which draws the air in from the duct and drives it into the space 55 between the partition I l and the cylinder end wall 35. Within the duct is a heating unit 55 and ahead of the heating unit is a lint screen 57 adapted to remove lint from the air that is recirculated by the blower. The air passes through the space 55 through the perforations as into the drum and through the clothes, not shown, which are placed in the cylinder and are being tumbled therein, out through the perforations 40 in the other end of the drum through the lint screen 5'! and the heating element 55.

As the air is thus recirculated its moisture content rises. Some air must be discharged and replaced by fresh air to avoid saturation.

Two dampers, 58 and 50, are provided to accomplish this. These dampers, one of which allows air to escape while the other allows fresh air to enter, may be interconnected for joint operation in any desired manner. To more fully utilize the heat radiated by the heating element, a portion of the shell 2'; on the upper side of the duct may be cut away at 5! to allow th heat to radiate directly against the sides 83 of the cylinder.

The ironer generally indicated at 4 may be the conventional type with a padded cylinder 62 supported from oneend of a shaft 53. This padded cylinder revolves proximate to a heated shoe 64, and is able both to approach to the shoe and to revolve in relation thereto.

Unitary driving mechanism As already indicated, it is essential for a suc cessful household combination unit that a wide variety of functions be power operated but that all of these operations be performed by the use of asingle motor.

The unitary driving mechanism generally indicated at 5 serves to revolve the drier 2, to drive the blower impeller 53, to turn the cylinder 62 of the ironer and to supply the power for moving this cylinder against its heated shoe or withdrawing it therefrom.

The des red flexibility is achieved by the use of a motor 65 that carries a sheave (it. A V belt 61 passing over this sheave also passes over a small pulley .88 and a large grooved wheel 10. The wheel 18 is keyed to the shaft H turning in bearings carried bythe housing. This shaft ll carries a pinion '82 that meshes with a larg gear wheel E3 which rides loose on shaft 4 l.

It willbe noted that the relatively small sheave ,66, the large pulley ID, the small pinion I2, and

the large gear I3 cooperate as a speed reducer that serves both the drier and the ironer.

Thus the motor always operates a high speed sheave 68 and a low speed gear wheel I3 from which the various elements can be driven as desired and at the proper speed.

If the machine is to be used only as a room heater or todry dishes in the machine, only clutch 69 engages sheave 68 and thereby drives shaft 54 and the impeller 53 at a high speed. If the drier is not to be used and only the ironer, the clutch 69 does not engage sheave 68 and shaft 54 does not revolve but clutch I82 engages gear 13.

If the clothes drier is to be operated, shaft 4i which turns the cylinder is coupled to gear "53 in a manner best shown in Figure 4.' This is accomplished in this mannen I The shaft 4| has grooves 14 into which fit split spring rings '25 which allow the gear 13 to turn freely onthe shaft but prevent endwise movement. At each side the gear carries engaging surfaces forming parts of the two clutches. On

all of the clutches here described these engaging surfaces may merely be friction surfaces. However they are shown as having teeth I6. One of these clutches comprises the jaw piece I! slidable on the shaft. This jaw cannot rotate relative to the shaft because it has a spline that rides on a key I8 set into the shaft. A hand lever 80, which may be, located outside of the housing, causes a follower 8| within the housing to push against a flange 82 on the jaw piece ll. A spring around the shaft, in compression may engage the clutch when follower 8| ceases to push against flange 82. When the jaw piece I! engages the'pulley 13, the shaft 4| will rotate. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the shaft does notrotate. The clutch I82 can be controlled in a similar manner through a lever 83 which may also be outside ofthe casing but has a follower bearing against a flange on clutch element I82. The jaw piece I82 is splined and slides on a key i233 carried by the hub {i l-of.

a sprocket pinion 85. The sprocket pinion 85 normally rides loose on the shaft but when the jaw piece I82 is engaged to the gear I3 the sprocket will turn. Clutch I82 is engaged while ironing is in progress. These various clutches may be biased by springs to engage and the control levers may be used to disengage the clutches against these springs.

As already stated the hand lever 80 controls the rotation of the shaft 4I'and the cylinder 32 supported thereon. Since the operation of the blower is normally desired when the drier cylinder is revolving, the clutch 69 in Fig. "1 and clutch Tl in Fig. 4 maybe interlocked in a well understood manner, not shown, so that the one hand lever 80 will control the engagement or disengagement of the clutches controlling the operation of both elements of the drying mechanism--the cylinder and the blower.

Ironer drive forms a further speed reduction. Also keyed, to

the shaft 88 is aigear wheel 92 which carries one through the end of arm IOI.

part of a clutch 93. The other half 94 of this clutch is carried by a collar 95 which is able to slide longitudinally on the annular hub 96 of an eccentric cam 91 that can turn on shaft 88. A spring 98 may bias the clutch half 94 toward engagement with clutch shaft 93. The clutch 94 has a collar 95 which is splined and slides on a key, not shown, fastened to hub 96. When thetwo parts of the clutch 93 and 94 are engaged, the cam 91 revolves about the shaft. This cam engages the sidesv of a slot I02 in the arm I0 I. See Fig. 3. Thus, when the cam is engaged, the arm IOI which has a hub I03 that bears upon bearing 42 is swung about the shaft M. The purpose for swinging the arm I0! is to move the ironer roll 62 against its shoe 64 or away therefrom. Obviously, it is desired to provide power through the clutch 93 and 94 to turn the cam 91 through just half of the revolution and then to automatically disconnect the clutch parts. This is accomplished by placing inclined wedge surfaces I00 on opposite sides of the collar 95 so that, upon the completion of the half revolution of cam 91 one or the other of the wedge surfaces I00 willv climb up on the roller I04. This disengages the clutch allowing jaw 93 to revolve while the 'cam remains at rest. When it is again desired to turn the cam through a half revolution the shaft I95 which carries the roller is moved endwise against the biasin spring II9. Thereby the roller is withdrawn from the path of the wedge surface allowing the spring 96 to again engage the two halves of the clutch 93, 94. Roller I04 is withdrawn by pulling on the rod I06 which acts through a bell crank ID! to move the shaft I05 endwise. The bell crank and the shaft are supported in an arm I98 carried by the partition I4.

' The ironer roll 62 has a shaft 62 extending A gear wheel IIO rides loosely on this shaft; It is desired to drive shoethat is, only when the arm is in the position shown in Fig. 3. To accomplish this in simple manner the arm is so arranged relative to shaft 88 that only when it is in the position shown in Fig. 3 will gears I I0 and 92 mesh. Normally one half of the clutch III engages the other half of ;the clutch II 2 because a spring II3 causes part I I2 to slide along a key H4 carried by the shaft 63. A hand lever II 5 pivoted at II6 engages a flange II! on one part of the clutch and permits disengaging the drive when it is desired to use the ironing roll for pressing rather than for ironing.

The ironer roll bears against a shoe 64 which may be heated electrically such as by resistance elements, notshown, that are located within the shoe. This shoe is supported on an arm H8 whichis carried by a shaft I20 which is supported on bearings I2 I attached to the outside of shell 24. This shaft can be rocked by a pressure'lever I22. Normally this pressure lever is engaged by a pressure rod- I23. This rod has a collar I24 and the rod passes through a supporting angle I25. A compression spring I26 reacts against this angle and the collar, thus providing resilient pressure to push the shoe against the ironer roll. The conventional means to remove the pressure from the shoe, which is also usable as a safety device, comprises a pin l2'i passing through an eye on the end of rod I23 and through two cams- I 28 joined to the handle I29. These cams bear on angle I25 and when the handle I29is turnedthe pressure from the pressure lever. Thus it will be seen that as the arm [M is swung clockwise in Figures :2 or 3 by the cam .97 the ironer roll will be forced against shoe 64 andaresilient, controlled, ironing pressure is built up in spring [26.

The clutches have been shown as controlled by manually operated levers extending to the outside of the casing. It will be understood that any of these clutches could be controlled in any well-known manner such as by connections to pedal levers or by electric circuits and by solenoids.

Clutch elements :93, and 94', particular must be engaged and disengaged very often. In ironing, every time a piece to be ironed enters the roll this engagement must be made. And again, when the piece has passed over the roll, the clutch must again be engaged to i'emove the pressure. Means leaving her hand free permitting this to be accomplished by the operators knee are provided. These means include a pad Hi9 attached to a rod 00 engaged by the knees. R05. 109 slides 'in the housing. This rod engages one arm of the bell crank 10? so that each time the pad is touched the roller 50% is withdrarm from the path of wedge I00, permitting the cam 91 to be turned through 180.

Operation The operation of this combined unit will be evident from the description given. Normally all of the parts are compactly enclosed in t-e housing, the ironing board being dropped and folded, covers 23 and closed, the pivoted front panel .29 and the doors 2% closed.

The drier can be operated alone, the ironer can be operated alone, orthey can be operated jointly. Likewise the drier can be operated while the ironing board is being used. In this manner the load of clothes can be drying in the drier while ironing, either by hand'or by the ironing roll, is in progress.

If clothes are to be dried the door '31 is opened,

the clothes'are placed in the cylinder 32, the motor is started and current is then passed through the heating element 56. The clutches already described are set so that the motor will drive the blower and turn the cylinder.

When the ironing board is to be used the cover 23 is opened, the ironing board is raised in the manner shown in Figure 2 and the ironing board is swung about the post into the position most comfortable to the operator and the extension 2! is swung back about hinge 22.

When the ironer roll 'is to be placed in operation the cover 25 is opened. The movable front section is swung in to the position 25 to serve as a table. The doors 29 are opened. The clutches already described are now set to drive theironer and, if the drier is not to be operated the clutches can be set to disengage the blower 52 and to stop the cylinder from revolving,

ihe apparatus is capable of use as a space heater by opening the dampers 53 and 50 and operating the drier in the manner already disclosed.

' ing from left to right in the-cabinet and of such diameter that it extends from the back of the cabinet past the middle of the cabinet toward the front and which houses a clothes drier, a roll type ironer supported in the limited space below the top of the cabinet and behind the front of the cabinet and located above and in front of said cylindrical enclosure, a hinged sec tion of the cabinet supported on a horizontal rod in the plane of the front of the cabinet in a manner permitting the hinged section to be rotated into a horizontal plane so that the portion of the hinged sectionof the cabinet normally above the rod will project outward increasing the working depth of the cabinet and that part of the hinged-section normally extending below the shaft will extend back under the ironer and the entire hinged section forming a table, a hinged portion of the top of the cabinet having a curved forward edge extending downward and joining the upper edge of the hinged front section when both sections are closed and adapted to be swung back over the top so as to aiTord the operator unrestricted use of the ironer when both sections are moved from their normal position.

BENJAMIN S.,KAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 164,966 Brown June 29, 1825 670,370 Dewhurst Mar. 19, 1901 1,213,832 Brandt Jan. 30, 1917 1,559,075 Colclough Oct. 27, 1925 1,580,195 Grosse Apr. 13, 1926 1,590,390 Miller June 29, 1926 1,632,094 Newsham et al. June 14, 1927 1,687,767 Hedglon Oct. 16, 1928 1,734,089 Hedglon Nov. 5, 1929 1,900,793 Broughton Mar. '7, 1933 1,948,703 Tonarjian Feb. 27 1934 2,029,283 Alterfer Feb. 4, 1936 2,043,332 Patterson June 9, 1936 2,079,033 Osuch May 4, I937 2,108,084 Strobridge -Feb. 15, 1933 2,123,304 Hetzer July 12, 1933 2,175,086 Mitchell Oct. 3,1939 2,252,165 Castricone i. Aug. 12, 1941 2,256,592 Harper Sept. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 553,890 Germany July 1, 1932 

